Acetabular cups are known, substantially spherical in shape, intended to replace or reinforce the natural acetabular cavity to accommodate the head of the relative femoral prosthesis. Acetabular cups, generally made of metal, can be advantageously covered with porous materials in order to improve the process of osteo-integration with the bone tissue of the pelvis.
Generally, materials commonly used to make the covering for acetabular cups consist of powdered titanium or hydroxyapatite. These materials are usually made to adhere to the external surface of the acetabular cup by means of the plasma-spray technique, or with welded metal nets or by means of small balls applied at high temperature.
Prosthetic elements are known, of the type in question, which have a solid and compact internal body, whereas in the external part a lattice is made which covers the acetabular cup. The lattice is applied on, or distanced from, the external wall of the cup.
One of the methods used is DMSLS (Direct Metal Selective Laser Sintering). This method allows to make products and components of metal material with a process, using laser rays, that solidifies successive layers of powdered metal material of pre-defined thickness. Each of said layers is representative of a horizontal section, of pre-defined thickness, of the three-dimensional model of the product.
Another technique is EBM (Electron Beam Melting), which allows to make components, for example of titanium, starting from a bath of titanium powder, by means of a melting process under conditions of high vacuum, and solidification of successive layers as in the DMSLS technique described above.
These techniques allow to reach great precision and to achieve the desired structures.
Purpose of the present invention is therefore to achieve, with one of the known techniques or an equivalent technique, a prosthetic element with a cellular structure made in a single piece such as to promote bone re-growth and good anchorage of the prosthesis.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.